Always Recall Her Sacrifice For Us All
by sakemori
Summary: Six years after the defeat of Obito, Squad Seven meets up at a specific location to remember a certain woman who brought them all together... and gave her own life so she could live theirs. Sad themes with a bit of humor.
1. Part One

**So I thought to myself, why not give some people a glimpse of what happened to my OC in the Naruto covers and pics I've submitted to DA (Nikoranasha is the penname if you're interested (; )? I know some of you had to be teeming with questions on how she died and how Sasuke would be like without her (I know for a fact I mentioned they were to be married before she died. And three days after giving birth to twins no less!) so I thought I'd answer them through a two(maybe three or four)-shot. Enjoy!**

**Warning: Extremely sad but a bit of humor mixed it. C'mon guys, Naruto won't leave everyone down in the dumps**

_**Summary:**_ Squad Seven gathers around in a certain location to remember a certain woman who brought them all together... and gave her own life so they could all live theirs.

**A Very Special Occasion For Squad Seven**

He entered the flower shop, his hands in his pockets as the bell chimed above him and he made his way to the counter. He heard suspicious sounds coming from the backroom as Ino called out quite breathlessly, "Just a minute!" He chose to ignore her for the moment as his hazel-gray eyes took in all the details of the flower shop. It was an important day not only for himself but for the rest of his team as well. Flowers were needed for the occasion.

Ino, all smiles, walked out of the backroom with her ponytail a slight mess and her clothing wrinkled like crazy. If you couldn't tell by the noises earlier what she was doing or her current appearance then the flush of her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes gave you an unneeded educated guess. But the sparkle in her eyes and the smile on her face disappeared when she saw who her customer was. She instantly went into the backroom again to retrieve the flowers needed and passed her husband. He followed her out after seeing her face and held her by the waist as the customer paid for the flowers and left the shop without uttering a single word or giving the married couple a backwards glance.

"I don't know how he does it after all these years," she said as she watched him disappear around a corner and out of her sight. "I would have lost it without you by my side. Not to mention overworking myself until I collapsed."

Shikamaru was nuzzling her neck, waiting for his beloved wife to finishing speaking before replying.

"He's stronger than most," was all he said and she hummed and nodded in agreement. There was no denying that.

_~)0o0(~_

She slipped out of the arms of her fiancée and got dressed as quickly and as quietly as possible, the sun not even up yet. The memory/dream was still fresh in her mind as she made her way to the kitchen to make herself a soothing cup of tea. She was given the day off, just like the rest of her old team, only because of its significance to them and the village. No hospital patients for her until tomorrow unless there was someone of importance she needed to heal and save.

She pushed her senses out searching for any threats in the near vicinity to herself or her little family and a small smile graced her lips when all she found were her loved ones sleeping soundly. It slipped away though when the dream/memory decided to push to the forefront of her mind. It'd been so many years since…

Her light green eyes filled with tears as she finished off her cup of tea and rinsed it out all the while without a single tear falling from her eyes. She actually found herself going back into her shared bedroom to fish around in her panty drawer for the velvet box she kept there. After finding it, she glanced at her sleeping fiancée and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She didn't know how he did it. How he could get out his bed alone in the morning or go to work or get through the day without killing somebody. She didn't know how he could raise his kids with little to no help on his part. She didn't know how he could be… so strong. She wouldn't have been able to last this long without her fiancée by her side after his rejection.

She shook her head to dispel the depressing train of thoughts, clutching the box like it was a life line, and wrote a note for the love of her life and left it on the nightstand by his head. She poofed out the next instant, but not before blowing him a kiss with a watery smile.

_~)0o0(~_

He made his way through the grocery store ignoring the looks he was getting and looking for a certain type of sweet. His usual smile was gone and in its place was a frown usually reserved for sad and depressing occasions. His dark blue eyes scanned the shelves in the sweet isle but he still couldn't find it. It made his frown more pronounced in all actuality.

He knew his friends depended on him for the food aspect of where they were to meet, but, for once, he didn't want to lay out a feast worthy for a king. He wanted something that a certain someone's favorite snack was until that fateful day oh so many years ago. While he searched for this particular sweet, he allowed his mind to wander to his best friend.

Out of everyone in their small group, he would be taking this day the hardest. He created this tradition the first year so his best friend wouldn't have to go through it alone. The rest of the team, surprisingly enough, agreed with the idea he created. Even though the always stoic man wouldn't show it, he was grateful for the company. It was only he and the kids usually. He needed the company and he knew it. Especially on this day out of all the others. Though a member of their ragtag group was missing because of a mission… Damn old lady….

His dark blue eyes almost passed over the sweet he was looking for when his thoughts took an unexpected turn to a certain someone. He shook the depressing thoughts aside long enough o grab five boxes worth and headed to the counter to pay for them. After paying the required amount, he exited the grocery store with a soft, small smile on his face.

Hopefully, the rest of the team got what they nedded for where they were to meet...

And, hopefully, that teme wasn't snapping at everyone for staring.

_~)0o0(~_

His single eye gazed out at the village while he sat perched on top of a tall building. The brown paper bag crinkled in his hands as he waited for the internal clack within his mind to go off. This was the only day of the year he arrived on time for anything. That and three specific birthdays or two of the people those birthdays belonged to would have his head on a silver platter.

This special day, many years ago, changed his life just like the days he found Shiori's and Kaname's bodies after his missions. But this time… this time it was ten times more painful. But that pain, he knew, wouldn't be as bad as his.

On that day of all days, he would be as his worst. Everyone in the Village Hidden in the Leaves knew to steer clear of the man who lost his "other half" as they dubbed it. Everyone was in agony, but theirs wouldn't compare to his ever. Not to mention the fact that he practically raised his kids all o his own with barely any help from anyone. And his two children were the only reason why he was still here with them and why he was currently so strong. Without them, the poor man would have gone on suicide missions until they were reunited on the other side.

His favorite pupil flashed before his mind's eye for a single second before he chased the image away. He clutched the brown paper bag to him even tighter and fought to stay in the present. If he didn't then he wouldn't make it on time. And just in time, he felt his inner clock chime and smirked before poofing to where he was needed to be.

**So, yeah... This is part one. Review and tell me what you think?**


	2. Part Two

**So I thought to myself, why not give some people a glimpse of what happened to my OC in the Naruto covers and pics I've submitted to DA (Nikoranasha is the penname if you're interested (; )? I know some of you had to be teeming with questions on how she died and how Sasuke would be like without her (I know for a fact I mentioned they were to be married before she died. And three days after giving birth to twins no less!) so I thought I'd answer them through a two(maybe three or four)-shot. Enjoy!**

**Warning: Extremely sad but a bit of humor mixed it. **

_**Summary:**_ Squad Seven gathers around in a certain location to remember a certain woman who brought them all together... and gave her own life so they could all live theirs. Her children find out a little more about their mother from her closest companions and their father.

**A Meeting with Memories and Regret**

Three out of four of Squad Seven appeared in the field where they had their first training session as a team. All but one arrived on time and the others glanced at one another nervously. It wasn't like him to be late… ever.

"It's not like Sasuke to not be here already," Haruno, soon to be Lee, Sakura said hesitantly as she tucked a stray piece of bright pink hair behind an ear. She clutched the velvet box holding a certain someone's necklace inside to her chest tightly and fought off tears. She could remember fighting with a certain female over Sasuke here once only because it was the only place that they could both agree on.

Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage-in-training, nodded and set down the bags of chocolate covered cherries on the grass and crossed his arms. "Wonder what's taking him," was his reply to his friend's statement and looked around the field with a sad look on his tan face. He could remember sparring with that fiery-tempered female as she gave him tips on bettering his skills as a ninja so he could reach his dream of becoming Konoha's greatest Hokage that ever lived.

Hatake Kakashi, their old sensei and team leader of Squad Seven, tilted his head while eying two of his pupils with his one eye. He set the brown paper bag holding a bottle of sake and sake set down on the grass as well and sighed. "He's probably walking here. Give him his space."

The other two members nodded and fidgeted. Sakura's green eyes were still filled with unshed tears as she glanced down at her feet and tried (and failed) to fight off the memories. Naruto's face remained the same as he looked off to the side with a grunt to hide his own tear-filled eyes. Kakashi had his closed-eye grin on his face as he studiously kept his mind blank searching for his final pupil's chakra.

All fought and failed to keep the memories as bay as tears silently coursed down their cheeks. This spot really did have too many memories of her.

_~)0o0(~_

Uchiha Sasuke walked silently through the streets of Konoha with the hand of his daughter clutched in his own and a bouquet of water lilies, white roses, and white carnations in the other. His son walked along side his younger twin sister with both hands stuffed in his pockets, a pose similar to that of his father's usual one. The two six year olds were as silent as their father allowing the Uchiha Family Head, or UFH as their Uncle Naruto jokily called him sometimes, to be within his own thoughts. Not exactly a reprieve for the older male. All it did was make him regret letting his fiancee take the final hit for him and feeding ever last drop of chakra to him and Naruto so they could defeat Obito.

Not knowing their father's thoughts, the twins were sharing a look. The raven haired violet eyed six year old opened her mouth to ask the question her and her brother have been wanting to ask for a little while now only for it to snap shut again. Her brother rolled his eyes but otherwise did nothing else. Sasuke, noticing what they did, gave his daughter his undivided attention a single eyebrow raised in a silent question. She only glanced down at her feet in response and kept quiet after losing her nerve to speak.

"Just ask, Shiori-baka," her brother groaned while secretly wanting to ask himself.

"Shut up, Itachi-nii-san!" she snapped with a weak glare at her twin who smirked at her in reply. A squeeze to her hand brought her out of whatever she was going to say or do in retaliation and told her, her father wanted to know what her question was. Though he did have a faint idea as to what she would ask.

Shiori looked up to stare at her namesake clutched in her father's opposite had and squared her shoulders. "Papa, where are we going?"

She felt him stiffen in an instant to her innocent question and felt guilt override her curiosity. She shot a nasty look at Itachi who ignored it and turned his head away. She looked up at her father's face ready to apologize only to gasp in shock and wonder. He was smiling, albeit sadly and very small but still a smile nonetheless.

"Somewhere special," he said as they continued walking though only the adult knew they stopped. His children began walking again themselves wondering when they stopped in the first place.

"Somewhere special?" the twins suddenly echoed while sharing another look, this one unreadable to their father who was eying them out of the corner of his hazel-gray eye. Sasuke smirked and held the bouquet of flowers closer to his chest while giving his daughter's hand a reassuring squeeze.

_Somewhere special, indeed… _

_~)0o0(~_

_"So do you guys have any names picked out for the twins yet?" Sakura asked her former love as her mentor continued to check on the twins inside the mother's womb. A small, tinkling laugh was her answer and a small grunt of amusement followed. Her mentor smirked and shared a knowing look with her favorite student._

"What do

you _think, Haruno-san?" a soft female voice asked and the pinkette looked up with a sheepish smile and a shrug before giving her friend a reprimanding look at the use of her last name. The woman only smiled to show she was teasing._

_"Knowing you two, I'd say they were picked out as soon as you realized you were pregnant," she replied with a laugh of her own and the light brunette before her gave a small smile in return. Sasuke only grunted again and looked off to the side. He wanted to know if his children were okay then leave. Done and get out. _

_"Actually, it took a bit of convincing with a certain name for the boy. Sasuke was refusing to name him after his older brother and I finally got my way when I threatened to kick him out of the house," the woman laughed as the Fifth Hokage and her apprentice looked up at the woman in shock. Sakura could only blink while her mentor narrowed her eyes at her current patient. "He only agreed because I was pregnant and couldn't be left on my own. I proved him wrong by sneaking out and going to Naruto's. I think Sasuke about killed him when he finally arrived."_

_"Should I slap you upside the head or your fiancee for your guys' idiocy?" _

_"I say my fiancee, Lady Fifth. I happen to be pregnant." _

_Sasuke scowled and flinched but didn't say anything. It was idiotic that they fought over the name of their son which lead to his very much pregnant fiancee to leave because her hormones got the better of her judgement. It wasn't exactly the best feeling in the world to wake up in the middle of the night to realize that the love of your life pregnant with your offspring wasn't within the house or close to the vicinity._

_"It wasn't that bad," the last Uchiha mumbled causing a snort from the love of his life, a slap upside the head, and a sigh of exasperation. All in all, it wasn't too bad of a bad hospital visit. _

Sasuke snapped out of the memory of the final time they had a check-up on the twins when his fiancee was still alive and pregnant when his daughter tugged on his hand to get his attention.

"It's Naruto-oji, and the others!" she said with a bright smile at her father. Sasuke fought off the tears that came rushing forth at the spitting image of his former fiancee and only grunted in response to his daughter's enthusiasm. Put her and Naruto together usually meant some sort of disaster. Their devious natures called out to each other.

"What's up, Shi? Your papa decided to bring you and your wussy of a brother along this time?" Naruto called out with a smile while discreetly wiping away the tears on his face. Sakura and Kakashi did the same and smiled warmly at the Uchiha twins. Shiori let go of Sasuke's hand with a high-pitched giggle and raspberry at her older twin brother who was glaring fiercely at the blond before him.

"Baka and Shiori-baka make a wonderful team of bakas don't they?" he asked his father loud enough for everyone to hear. Shiori and Naruto both stopped doing their secret handshake to glare at the Uchiha heir.

"Careful, Itchi-nii-san," Shiori said with a big close-eyed smile. "You don't want what happened last time to happen again, right? Who's the baka now?"

Everyone gazed at the child before them while Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi sweat dropped at the murderous aura the six year old had.

"My, aren't you... chipper today!" Sakura laughed before her eyes widened and she jumped up with a gasp. "Oh! I almost forgot something!" She clutched the velvet box in her hand a bit tighter before walking over to the six year old female Uchiha-Kannahime mix and held it out to her.

"It was your mother's. She wanted me to give this to you when you turned seven but I think I can give it to you now," she said with a sad smile and Shiori eyed it before hesitantly taking it out of the pinkette's hand and opening it. She gasped at the black music note on a silver chain with the word 'kibou' engraved on one side and looked up to meet the green eyes of the ninja before her.

"I... I recognize this from one of Mama's paintings! How did you get it?" Shiori asked as Sakura took it out and put around the six year old's neck.

"She gave it to me the day she died," was her answer.

**A tad bit of humor there at the end but overall still very sad. Explanation for this fic is in my pic description on DA. **


	3. Part Three

**So I thought to myself, why not give some people a glimpse of what happened to my OC in the Naruto covers and pics I've submitted to DA (Nikoranasha is the pen name if you're interested (; )? I know some of you had to be teeming with questions on how she died and how Sasuke would be like without her (I know for a fact I mentioned they were to be married before she died. And three days after giving birth to twins no less!) so I thought I'd answer them through a two(maybe three or four)-shot. Enjoy!**

**Warning: Extremely sad but a bit of humor mixed it. **

**Summary:** Her children find out a little more about their mother from her closest companions and their father. Squad Seven starts telling the twins stories of their mother's bravery.

**Why They Kept Quiet About Her For So Long**

Itachi felt rather than saw his sister's eyes fill with tears and made his way over to her to pull her into a hug. He looked up to meet Sakura's eyes with hazel-gray ones and gave her the coldest look her could. It worked. Sakura flinched away from the Uchiha heir and gave the twins a sad look. She didn't mean to make the overly sensitive girl cry. She kept forgetting that Shiori wore her heart on her sleeve.

"Wh-why did Mama have to die not long after Itachi-nii-san and I were born? I don't understand!" Shiori wailed as she clung to her older twin brother. Naruto put a comforting hand on the six-year old's head and ruffled the hair a bit with a sad smile of his own. He honestly didn't have the correct answer for that question but he'd try and answer it.

"Your mama... She wasn't like the other shinobi," he tried to explain and shot a desperate look to Sasuke who ignored him in favor of trying to think of which thing to explain first. "She was kind, merciful, and could convince anyone that she was right in her way of thinking. She would willingly sacrifice herself for innocent people, even if they weren't from her own village. She followed her own shinobi way."

"Do you recognize this spot, Itachi? Shiori?" their father piped up immediately after Naruto's slightly painful explanation. The twins looked up at Sasuke who was staring at the field surrounding them. Memories, including the one where he proposed to her, swirled within the confines of his mind most of them from this very spot. If she were here right now, she'd have punched Sakura in the face for making their daughter cry while everyone else watched on in shock. Not even Sasuke would have pulled something like that, but his love was fearless. Shiori and Itachi got that from her. Their recklessness in situations where those they cared for were hurt or in trouble knew no bounds. Made his heart hurt but he was always so proud of them for doing what they thought was right. Even if they got a scolding for it later. Sasuke never really did appreciate feeling like his heart exploding if he saw those he cared for in some kind of danger.

"K-kind of," Shiori sniffled as Itachi stared at him without answering. He had a feeling but wanted to be proved right.

Sasuke walked forward and set the flowers down at an odd stone in a crouch. It was filled with many different names on it with their mother's name on the bottom. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura all winced once they realized which stone it was. Only those who died in the act of saving the Village were put on that stone.

"This field," he began his back to his friends and family as he stayed crouched there with his fingers skimming over the name of his beloved, "was were the original Squad Seven got together for their first training session with Kakashi-sensei. Your kaa-san, out of all of us, was the closest in beating him. She was able to break down so many barriers set up, even your Sai-jii's. You two look so much like, _are_ so much like her, that it makes our hearts ache."

He stood up and turned to look at his precious children his eyes filled with tears as the twin's eyes widened. They've never seen so much turmoil, so much _pain_, in their father's eyes before that it took their breath away. Their father was a stoic man with very few words to say. He was harsh but still kind and loving. So to see him like this was nothing short from shock for the Uchiha twins.

_Well,_ Shiori thought as she met her brother's eyes, _if they're gonna start talking about her, the least we can do is listen._

Her brother didn't need to see what his sister was thinking for he was thinking the same thing himself. They both gave each other a nod and sat down on the checkered blanket set out by Kakashi. He ruffled both of their hair and gave them a tender close-eyed smile as he crouched down himself by their side. Naruto, getting what the twins were doing, did the same with Sakura following suit. They all watched Sasuke as he stared at them before he made his way over and sat down beside his children.

"Can you guys tell us about her? Our mama, I mean," Shiori asked no shame in her voice or expression while the adults in the group shared an unreadable look before Naruto opened his mouth to begin.

"Your kaa-san was a very... harsh person to get along with on her best days. Heck, I remember all the torture I had to go through just to even think about being in the same league as her!" He laughed there for a second before becoming serious. "But, she was also a shinobi. One of the best. Her hands, like ours, were not exactly clean. Don't get me wrong! She did what she had to to keep Konoha safe, but her heart, though well guarded, was fragile. It took us all to put the pieces back together each time she had to kill."

Sakura nodded as did Kakashi and Sasuke. They each remembered her tears as she scrubbed at her hands vigorously to get the blood off. It was never a prety sight to happen upon. She was always fine after all of them stayed close by to ensure that she wouldn't harm herself or those close by. It always made their hearts ache to see someone who was so strong to be reduced to such a state.

"We-we know our kaa-san was a shinobi," Itachi said with a glower at Naruto who didn't seem to notice or not care. "What we don't know is her history. Who she was as a person before becoming a great ninja. How she met our tou-san, you guys, and why she became the way she was before she died."

Sakura blinked at how blunt the six year old was at stating that his mother was dead. _He really is a lot like Sasuke..._ But a woman with light sand-brown hair and violet eyes popped up in her mind and she smiled. _But he also has his kaa-san's brashness. She would be so proud of her son and daughter if she could see them right now._

Sasuke winced at the bluntness of his son but otherwise did nothing else. How could he describe the way his beloved would smile when he and Naruto did something that would remind her of the past? How, when angry, her face would go as red as a cherry as steam practically came out of her ears while glaring the person into submission... All of these things couldn't be described to a person unless they saw those things for themselves. His children, _her_ children, were no exception to that rule.

"Well, there are some things we just _can't _tell you only because of the secrecy needed for the Village, but your tou-san can tell you how he proposed to your kaa-san if that'll make you feel better," Sakura supplied with a smile to the twins before turning to glare warningly at the Uchiha head. Sasuke recognized the danger of not listening to the pinkette and nodded.

"Before I tell you how I proposed to your kaa-san," Sasuke began with a look towards Sakura who happily ignored it. This was a story that only _she_ told her once. She didn't get to hear it again and from Sasuke no less, "we need to tell you why we waited this long to talk about her."

The air darkened considerably with grief and regret as the twins shared another unreadable look. _This can't be good._

"We had to wait until we knew you both would understand, but it was ultimately your tou-san's decision on when," Kakashi said with a smile but it was strained and they all knew it.

"She didn't die in a nice way. She gave every last bit of chakra she had to the two of us so we could finally defeat Obito while also leaving some for the rest of the old Squad Seven and you two," Naruto explained a bit more with a grimace not even bothering to try and smile. "She said something about seeing us all when the time was right."

"She was low on chakra to begin with, Naruto," Sakura said with her face hidden by her hair. "She just gave birth to twins three days prior to Obito's arrival. She knew what she was doing would kill her but she was more worried about the Village... and Sasuke not surviving."

"That doesn't exactly matter, Sakura-san," a new voice spoke from behind the twins causing Shiori to jump up and give the newcomer a hug.

"Sai-jii!" she squealed and smiled up at him. Sai only stared down at her though his eyes seemed to soften ever so slightly.

"Her duty was to Konoha. Sasuke was just an added bonus to ensure that her children survived."

"Sake didn't care about the Village," Kakashi spoke up again and gave Sai a slight condescending look. "She was more worried about her two twins growing up without a tou-san."

"No, Sake wasn't like that! She loved her home! And she loved her family. She'd have protected both if she could and she did," Naruto piped in.

Sakura snorted and gave the men before her a dull look. "Sake was more concerned about her children and fiancee surviving than anything else."

"Papa? Why are they arguing? Who are they arguing about?" Shiori mocked whispered to her father who held back a smirk when all of them froze. The group of adults before the Uchiha family gave them sheepish looks when all Shiori and Itachi did was stare at them while their father began to glare.

"Glad to see you guys are the adults her," Itachi mocked with a smirk. "So mature. You are such _lovely _role models for my sister and I." No one noticed how the world around them was beginning to whiten and change as Itachi continued to tell off the immature adults in front of him.

"-and Lord knows my sister need more reasons to act less than her age! Grow up already! Some of you have children already. So act like adults!"

A feminine giggle caused Itachi to stop mid-rant and look to see who laughed. His brown-gray eyes met dark violet and his eyes widened. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, her ninja headband was holding back some of her light sand-brown hair as the dark red shirt hugged her torso. There were fishnets on her arms and legs while the light red mini-skirt swayed in a light breeze.

"If you were wondering," she said with a bright smile as she looked over at her old Squad when she was alive her smile turning sad quickly, "My name is Kannahime-Himeko Sayuri. But I usually go by Sake." Her eyes met with that of her fiancee's and stayed there. "I happen to be your kaa-san, and your tou-san's betrothed."

**Yeah, Sake will explain _everything_ so you guys aren't confused in the next (and final) chapter. It took me forever and a day to write this though! Review to tell me your thoughts?**


End file.
